THE MOTHER I WOULD CHOOSE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3139, 16 October 1922, Page 2

THE MOTHER I WOULD CHOOSE.

When mothers arc rushing into print on Iho great question raised by Mr Hutcliinsoui's latest novel, is it not time that the voice of their children should be heard? After all, it is really our affair. It's the daughters and the sons who are host capable of judging between between the mother who is absorbed in her career and the mother who has not. a thought beyond her home? We know the sort of mother we would choose ll only nature gave us a chance of choosing. My own mother belongs to neither ol these categories. She is what one might call the sister-mother. I was horn when she was a lovely girl ol H>. and ever since I grew up her energies have been devoted to the task of not looking a dav older than her daughter. I must confess at one,' that she lias succeeded. As a result my father has never ceased to adore her. Above all lie is proud of her. I. too. am proud ol her. The whole family is. in lact. bursting with pride in her beautiful perennial votlth. Of course we are always together, for she dances and plays all Raines divinely, doing all that I do far better than' her debutante daughter. It is not a case of mater pulehra lilia ptilelirior. It's just the other way about. lint though my mother is in every respect my rival it is only fair to add that she never consciously tries to cut me out. On the contrary, she is as lutii on my success as I am inyscll. never grudging me a new dress even when she ran") afford it. She savs she doosn'l enjoy anything unless I share it. and I'm certain she means it ton. In short, she wants me 1,, |, t , a credit lo her. to carry on as H were the tradition of beauty and charm «he has established. "Acknowledge, she seems lo say to everyone, "thai I have, created something here quite exquisitely worthy of myself.' . Most of mv giil Iriends, especially those with dowdy old mothers who frown upon their fun. envy me my smiling sisterly mamma. They uevei see the other side of the picture, and ol course 1 don't show it to them. Hut there is another side, lor the mother I would choose would be quite aiJP*he: M)vt of woman. It isn't that I'm not grateful to her for being so anxious I .should have a .rood time. Perhaps it's just jealousy that makes me hate to think Tin not a patch upon my mother. Anyway, it s ties eternal comparison between her and me 1 can't stand. T don't want to be mv mother's daughter- just an inferior .replica of her. T want to be nivself. . Well, you can't be voursell with a mother who looks and behaves as I she were vour sister. Whether von like it or not you always find voursell competing with her in a game where all the advantages are on her side. So vou cud bv thinking ol voursell as a 'failure through, no fault ol your own or of hers. Thtvt ss-Uy the Uleul mother ol my dreams is one who has no longer any ambition to play the game or at least mv came. Let her have a career l.v all means, so long as it :s not my raivor. Or if she prefers it let her lie the homeliest of home birds. ! shouldn't want to cut her off from any life she liked so long as she didn't expect m<» to share Ikt interests and amusements to be in fact her sister. I should be less proud of her. ol course, but I should love her more. And we should both he happier.